What factors are considered in awarding Maintenance?

On behalf of Law Offices of David Bliven on Monday, May 16, 2016.

Maintenance in New York is the equivalent of what other state's call "alimony." It's intent is to enable a recipient spouse to get back on his/her "financial feet" after getting a divorce from the more-monied spouse.

Factors ConsideredNew York considers numerous factors in making a final award of maintenance. They are: 1) the income and property of the respective parties including marital property distributed pursuant to subdivision five of this part; (2) the length of the marriage; (3) the age and health of both parties; (4) the present and future earning capacity of both parties; (5) the need of one party to incur education or training expenses; (6) the existence and duration of a pre-marital joint household or a pre-divorce separate household; (7) acts by one party against another that have inhibited or continue to inhibit a party's earning capacity or ability to obtain meaningful employment. Such acts include but are not limited to acts of domestic violence as provided in section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services law.

Further factors(8) the ability of the party seeking maintenance to become self-supporting and, if applicable, the period of time and training necessary therefor; (9) reduced or lost lifetime earning capacity of the party seeking maintenance as a result of having foregone or delayed education, training, employment, or career opportunities during the marriage; (10) the presence of children of the marriage in the respective homes of the parties; (11) the care of the children or stepchildren, disabled adult children or stepchildren, elderly parents or in-laws that has inhibited or continues to inhibit a party's earning capacity; (12) the inability of one party to obtain meaningful employment due to age or absence from the workforce; (13) the need to pay for exceptional additional expenses for the child/children, including but not limited to, schooling, day care and medical treatment; (14) the tax consequences to each party; (15) the equitable distribution of marital property; (16) contributions and services of the party seeking maintenance as a spouse, parent, wage earner and homemaker, and to the career or career potential of the other party; (17) the wasteful dissipation of marital property by either spouse; (18) the transfer or encumbrance made in contemplation of a matrimonial action without fair consideration; (19) the loss of health insurance benefits upon dissolution of the marriage, and the availability and cost of medical insurance for the parties; and (20) any other factor which the court shall expressly find to be just and proper.

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